Stores in Atkinson’s+Shiffrin’s MSM
Sensory Register
Short Term Memory
Long Term Memory
Capacity
The AMOUNT of memory that can be held in memory at any time
Duration
The length of time the memory store can hold info
Encoding
Transforming information into a form that can be stored in memory
Sensory Register
Capacity: very large
Duration: limited
Encoding: different sensory stores for unprocessed info
Short Term Memory
Capacity: 7 +/- 2 items
Duration: seconds
Encoding: mainly acoustic
Long Term Memory
Capacity: unlimited
Duration: up to a life time
Encoding: mainly semantic
MSM Process
Information passes through in a linear way.
External stimuli are registered in the sensory memory
If it is given enough attention it is passed to the STM
If it is rehearsed enough and not lost through decay or displacement it is passed to the LTM
From here it can be lost through decay or interference
Strengths of MSM
- It has made contributions to memory research because it is TESTABLE.
- Case studies such as KF have supported it. He had a motorcycle accident which caused him brain damage. He damaged his STM and had a regency affect of 2 items suggesting LTM + STM are distinctive.
Weaknesses of MSM
- It emphasises rote rehearsal as a method of transferring to the LTM but it is not a very affective means of transfer and transfer often occurs without it
- CLIVE WEARING lost episodic but still had procedural memory suggesting there is more than one kind of LTM
- It oversimplifies and doesn’t express the complexity of memory. It explains the amount at the expense of the nature of what we can remember as somethings are easier to remember.
Three types of LTM
Tulving suggests;
Episodic
Semantic
Procedural
Episodic Memory
Memory of episodes or events in our lives
It stores when an event occurred and what happened which includes people places and behaviours
It does takes a conscious effort to retrieve episodic memories. Such memories are complex, for example they are “time stamped” so we remember when the events happened.
Semantic Memory
A store for our knowledge of the world and where we hold facts.
It is argues that the semantic memory is underpinned by the episodic memory because we learn through experience.
Procedural Memory
Our knowledge of how to do things such as walking talking or riding a bike.
We do not need to make a conscious effort to recall these memories.
They are referred to as non-declarative as although they are easy to do they are difficult to describe in words
Strengths of types of LTM
- It has been supported by brain scans such as Clive Wearing who got brain damage and lost episodic memory but was still able to play the piano
- Brain scans such as PET scans have shown how different parts of the brain are used in different tasks. For example, episodic and semantic memories were recalled from the pre-frontal cortex. More specifically the episodic memory on the right and the semantic on the left
Weaknesses of the types of LTM
- The case studies are criticised for lacking control
- Cohen and Squire argued that episode of and semantic memories were stored together. Whilst agreeing procedural memories were non-declarative, they argued e and s were declarative as they can consciously be consciously recalled
Parts of the WMM
Central Executive
Phonological Loop
Visual- Spatial Sketchpad
Central Executive
The CE is in charge of coordinating the two slave systems.
It can retrieve information from any sensory modality
It’s maim tasks are setting task goals, correcting errors and receiving information from the LTM
The Phonological Loop
A temporary store with a limited capacity.
Holds speech based info and codes automatically.
Split into:
The Phonological Store- like the inner ear that holds the worlds you hear
The Articulatory Process- like the inner voice that repeats the words you hear
The Visual Spatial Sketchpad
Also a temporary store that has a limited capacity.
AKA Inner eye
It is split into:
The Visual Cache- stores visual data
The Inner Scribe- handles spatial relationships and transfers info from the visual cache to the CE
Episodic Buffer
Added by Baddeley in 2000.
It acts as a general store and has a capacity of 4 chunks.
It integrates info from the 3 components to the LTM
Strengths of WMM
- It is seen as more plausible by cognitive psychologist bc it explains STM in terms of a temporary storage and active processing
- Vernal rehearsal is seen a just one option in the articulatory loop rather than only way into is transferred
- KF forgot auditory memory much greater than visual memory, suggesting damage to phonological loop
- Further empirical evidence suggests STM is a number of relatively independent processing mechanisms than a unitary store
Weaknesses of the WMM
- The most important component, the CE, is the one we know least about. According to Richardson, no one has been able to quantify it empirically and there are problems identifying what it actually does
- Using case studies is problematic bc we are unable to compare before and after
Interference Theory
Explains forgetting in terms of one memory blocking another
PROACTIVE Interference= when older memories hinder them reveal of newer memories
RETROACTIVE interference= when newer memories interferes with an older memory as newer info may overwrite earlier info
Interference occurs when two lots of info are similar and is likely to happen when there is a gap in the instances of learning.
An example of proactive is not being able to recall a phone number due to confusing with an older one and retroactive is vice versa.
